This week’s political fight over whether the Legislature should remain in session past its official adjournment date focused mostly on a few marquee proposals that have been under debate for months, but there are hundreds of other bills lying in limbo.
That hundreds of bills die every legislative session, many of them upon adjournment, is nothing new in Augusta, but what makes this year unique is that a bulk of what legislative leaders and Gov. Paul LePage hoped to accomplish in 2018 has not been accomplished. Here’s a snapshot of those issues, along with a broader look at what else is left.
Marquee issues
Tax conformity: Ever since President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans enacted major tax reform in December, Republican lawmakers in Maine have said aligning our tax code with the feds is a priority. Democrats are supportive of some aspects — such as easing some practical hurdles state filers may face next year because of the increased misalignment — but want to reduce the $88 million cost of tax cuts called for by LePage.
Medicaid expansion: A law to extend taxpayer-funded health coverage to at least 70,000 more low-income Mainers was put on the books by citizen-initiated referendum in 2017, but funding for it has not been settled. LePage and many Republicans — especially those in the House of Representatives — have erected layers of obstacles to thwart implementation.
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “What Maine lawmakers left undone after they put all their energy into fighting,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Christopher Cousins, please follow this link to the BDN online.
